HOUSE BILL No. 5225

September 27, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Hoogendyk, Condino, Taub, Vander Veen, Bieda, Lipsey and Kolb and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

     A bill to amend 1953 PA 232, entitled

 

"Corrections code of 1953,"

 

by amending sections 35 and 37 (MCL 791.235 and 791.237), section

 

35 as amended by 1998 PA 315 and section 37 as amended by 1994 PA

 

217, and by adding section 34b.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 34b. (1) Every prisoner shall make all reasonable

 

efforts, while incarcerated, to obtain any 2 of the identification

 

documents that, in combination with the prisoner identification

 

card issued under section 37(4), would satisfy the application

 

requirements for obtaining a state personal identification card or

 

operator's license as established by the secretary of state under

 


section 307 of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.307,

 

or section 1 of 1972 PA 222, MCL 28.291. A prisoner's cooperation

 

under this subsection is a factor that is to be considered as part

 

of the prisoner's parole eligibility report, as provided in section

 

35(7)(e). This subsection applies to any prisoner who begins

 

serving a sentence under the jurisdiction of the department after

 

the effective date of this section and also applies, beginning

 

January 1, 2006, to any prisoner who is serving a sentence of

 

imprisonment on the effective date of this section.

 

     (2) Each prisoner shall be given a form listing the personal

 

identification documents referenced in subsection (1). The form

 

shall include a statement that the department will assist the

 

prisoner in obtaining the required documents. The form shall also

 

include any other information the department determines is

 

necessary. For a prisoner who begins serving a sentence under the

 

jurisdiction of the department after the effective date of this

 

section, the department shall provide the form not later than 10

 

days after the prisoner arrives at a reception center under section

 

67(1). For any prisoner who is serving a sentence under the

 

jurisdiction of the department on the effective date of this

 

section, the department shall provide the form not later than

 

October 1, 2005.

 

     (3) The director of the department may waive the requirements

 

of subsection (1) for any prisoner who, for any reason that is not

 

the fault of the prisoner, is unable to comply with subsection (1).

 

     (4) The department shall assist each prisoner in obtaining the

 

documents referenced in subsection (1). A prisoner may expend money

 


from his or her institutional account to defray any expenses

 

incurred in obtaining the documents. Upon release on parole or

 

release without parole, the department shall provide the documents

 

obtained to the prisoner.

 

     (5) The department shall allow the secretary of state to have

 

electronic access to prisoner biography information for the purpose

 

of verifying the identity of prisoners who apply for driver

 

licenses or state personal identification cards.

 

     (6) The reentry success fund is created within the state

 

treasury. The state treasurer may receive money or other assets

 

from any source for deposit into the fund. The state treasurer

 

shall direct the investment of the fund. The state treasurer shall

 

credit to the fund interest and earnings from fund investments.

 

Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall remain in

 

the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund.

 

     (7) The department of corrections shall expend money from the

 

reentry success fund, upon appropriation, only for the expense of

 

obtaining the documents referenced in subsection (1) for prisoners

 

who are indigent.

 

     Sec. 35. (1) The release of a prisoner on parole shall be

 

granted solely upon the initiative of the parole board. The parole

 

board may grant a parole without interviewing the prisoner.

 

However, beginning  on the date on which the administrative rules

 

prescribing parole guidelines pursuant to section 33e(5) take

 

effect  January 26, 1996, the parole board may grant a parole

 

without interviewing the prisoner only if, after evaluating the

 

prisoner according to the parole guidelines, the parole board

 


determines that the prisoner has a high probability of being

 

paroled and the parole board therefore intends to parole the

 

prisoner. Except as provided in subsection (2), a prisoner shall

 

not be denied parole without an interview before 1 member of the

 

parole board. The interview shall be conducted at least 1 month

 

before the expiration of the prisoner's minimum sentence less

 

applicable good time and disciplinary credits for a prisoner

 

eligible for good time and disciplinary credits, or at least 1

 

month before the expiration of the prisoner's minimum sentence for

 

a prisoner subject to disciplinary time. The parole board shall

 

consider any statement made to the parole board by a crime victim

 

under the crime victim's rights act, 1985 PA 87, MCL 780.751 to

 

780.834, or under any other provision of law. The parole board

 

shall not consider any of the following factors in making a parole

 

determination:

 

     (a) A juvenile record that a court has ordered the department

 

to expunge.

 

     (b) Information that is determined by the parole board to be

 

inaccurate or irrelevant after a challenge and presentation of

 

relevant evidence by a prisoner who has received a notice of intent

 

to conduct an interview as provided in subsection (4). This

 

subdivision applies only to presentence investigation reports

 

prepared before April 1, 1983.

 

     (2) Beginning  on the date on which the administrative rules

 

prescribing the parole guidelines take effect pursuant to section

 

33e(5)  January 26, 1996, if, after evaluating a prisoner according

 

to the parole guidelines, the parole board determines that the

 


prisoner has a low probability of being paroled and the parole

 

board therefore does not intend to parole the prisoner, the parole

 

board  shall  is not  be  required to interview the prisoner before

 

denying parole to the prisoner.

 

     (3) The parole board may consider but shall not base a

 

determination to deny parole solely on either of the following:

 

     (a) A prisoner's marital history.

 

     (b) Prior arrests not resulting in conviction or adjudication

 

of delinquency.

 

     (4) If an interview is to be conducted, the prisoner shall be

 

sent a notice of intent to conduct an interview at least 1 month

 

before the date of the interview. The notice shall state the

 

specific issues and concerns that shall be discussed at the

 

interview and that may be a basis for a denial of parole. A denial

 

of parole shall not be based on reasons other than those stated in

 

the notice of intent to conduct an interview except for good cause

 

stated to the prisoner at or before the interview and in the

 

written explanation required by subsection (12). This subsection

 

does not apply until April 1, 1983.

 

     (5) Except for good cause, the parole board member conducting

 

the interview shall not have cast a vote for or against the

 

prisoner's release before conducting the current interview. Before

 

the interview, the parole board member who is to conduct the

 

interview shall review pertinent information relative to the notice

 

of intent to conduct an interview.

 

     (6) A prisoner may waive the right to an interview by 1 member

 

of the parole board. The waiver of the right to be interviewed

 


shall be given not more than 30 days after the notice of intent to

 

conduct an interview is issued and shall be made in writing. During

 

the interview held pursuant to a notice of intent to conduct an

 

interview, the prisoner may be represented by an individual of his

 

or her choice. The representative shall not be another prisoner or

 

an attorney. A prisoner is not entitled to appointed counsel at

 

public expense. The prisoner or representative may present relevant

 

evidence in support of release. This subsection does not apply

 

until April 1, 1983.

 

     (7) At least 90 days before the expiration of the prisoner's

 

minimum sentence less applicable good time and disciplinary credits

 

for a prisoner eligible for good time or disciplinary credits, or

 

at least 90 days before the expiration of the prisoner's minimum

 

sentence for a prisoner subject to disciplinary time, or the

 

expiration of a 12-month continuance for any prisoner, a parole

 

eligibility report shall be prepared by appropriate institutional

 

staff. The parole eligibility report shall be considered pertinent

 

information for purposes of subsection (5). The report shall

 

include all of the following:

 

     (a) A statement of all major misconduct charges of which the

 

prisoner was found guilty and the punishment served for the

 

misconduct.

 

     (b) The prisoner's work and educational record while confined.

 

     (c) The results of any physical, mental, or psychiatric

 

examinations of the prisoner that may have been performed.

 

     (d) Whether the prisoner fully cooperated with the state by

 

providing complete financial information as required under section

 


3a of the state correctional facility reimbursement act, 1935 PA

 

253, MCL 800.403a.

 

     (e) Whether the prisoner complied with the requirements of

 

section 34b for obtaining identification documents.

 

     (f)  (e)  For a prisoner subject to disciplinary time, a

 

statement of all disciplinary time submitted for the parole board's

 

consideration pursuant to section 34 of 1893 PA 118, MCL 800.34.

 

     (8) The preparer of the report shall not include a

 

recommendation as to release on parole.

 

     (9) Psychological evaluations performed at the request of the

 

parole board to assist it in reaching a decision on the release of

 

a prisoner may be performed by the same person who provided the

 

prisoner with therapeutic treatment, unless a different person is

 

requested by the prisoner or parole board.

 

     (10) The parole board may grant a medical parole for a

 

prisoner determined to be physically or mentally incapacitated. A

 

decision to grant a medical parole shall be initiated upon the

 

recommendation of the bureau of health care services and shall be

 

reached only after a review of the medical, institutional, and

 

criminal records of the prisoner.

 

     (11) The department shall submit a petition to the appropriate

 

court under section 434 of the mental health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL

 

330.1434, for any prisoner being paroled or being released after

 

serving his or her maximum sentence whom the department considers

 

to be a person requiring treatment. The parole board shall require

 

mental health treatment as a special condition of parole for any

 

parolee whom the department has determined to be a person requiring

 


treatment whether or not the petition filed for that prisoner is

 

granted by the court. As used in this subsection, "person requiring

 

treatment" means that term as defined in section 401 of the mental

 

health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL 330.1401.

 

     (12) When the parole board makes a final determination not to

 

release a prisoner, the prisoner shall be provided with a written

 

explanation of the reason for denial and, if appropriate, specific

 

recommendations for corrective action the prisoner may take to

 

facilitate release.

 

     (13) This section does not apply to the placement on parole of

 

a person in conjunction with special alternative incarceration

 

under section 34a(7).

 

     Sec. 37. (1) When a prisoner is released upon parole, the

 

department shall provide the prisoner with clothing and a

 

nontransferable ticket to the place in which the paroled prisoner

 

is to reside. At the discretion of the deputy director in charge of

 

the  bureau of  field  services  operations administration, the

 

paroled prisoner may be advanced the expense of the transportation

 

to the place of residence and a sum of money necessary for

 

reasonable maintenance and subsistence for a 2-week period, as

 

determined by the deputy director. A sum of money given under this

 

section shall be repaid to the state by the paroled prisoner within

 

180 days after the money is received by the paroled prisoner.

 

     (2) If a prisoner who is discharged without being paroled has

 

less than $75.00 in his or her immediate possession, has no visible

 

means of support, and has conserved personal funds in a reasonable

 

manner, the department shall furnish to that prisoner all of the

 


following:

 

     (a) Clothing that is appropriate for the season.

 

     (b) A sum of $75.00 including that amount already in the

 

prisoner's possession.

 

     (c) Transportation to a place in this state where the prisoner

 

will reside or work or to the place where the prisoner was

 

convicted or sentenced.

 

     (3) When providing for transportation, the department shall do

 

all of the following:

 

     (a) Use the most economical available public transportation.

 

     (b) Arrange for and purchase the prisoner's transportation

 

ticket.

 

     (c) Assume responsibility for delivering that prisoner to the

 

site of departure and confirming the prisoner's departure from the

 

site.

 

     (4) The department shall provide an identification card to

 

each prisoner when he or she is released on parole or is released

 

upon completion of his or her maximum sentence. The identification

 

card shall include all of the following:

 

     (a) The prisoner's photograph, taken not earlier than 6 months

 

before the prisoner's date of release.

 

     (b) The prisoner's legal name.

 

     (c) The prisoner's place and date of birth.

 

     (d) The date on which the prisoner began his or her term of

 

incarceration at a state correctional facility.

 

     (e) A statement as to whether the prisoner was placed on

 

parole.

 


     (f) A list of the prisoner's known aliases and former legal

 

names, if any.

 

     (5)  (4)  The cost of implementing this section shall be paid

 

out of the general fund of the state.

 

     Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless all of the following bills of the 93rd Legislature are

 

enacted into law:

 

     (a) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5226(request no.

 

01936'05).

 

     (b) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5227(request no.

 

01937'05).

 

     (c) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No.     (request no.

 

01938'05).

 

     (d) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5228(request no.

 

01939'05).